The 15th-century Prinsenhof of the Dukes of Burgundy, and the only five-star hotel in Bruges set in a former palace.
01 / 10
Overview
Fifteenth Century
A hundred and thirty-five rooms in a Burgundian palace, with three thousand square metres of garden.
The Prinsenhof was built by the Duke of Burgundy to mark his marriage, and for a while it was one of the great courts of Europe — Cardinal Wolsey, Thomas More, Erasmus and William Caxton all came through it. What survives is smaller than the original, which once held a library, a swimming pool, a tennis court, an orchard and a zoo. The 135 rooms are all different: original oil paintings, chandeliers and stained glass, set against marble bathrooms and heated floors. Behind the building there is a 3,000 square metre garden with contemporary sculpture in it, which in the middle of a medieval UNESCO city is close to unheard of.
Bruges empties in the evening. The day visitors leave around six and the city becomes a different place. Staying inside the centre is the entire argument for this hotel.
15th c.
The Palace Built
135
Rooms & Suites
3,000m²
Private Garden
1
Palace Hotel in Bruges
Rooms
Oil Paintings, and Heated Floors
Fifteenth-century character, kept, with everything modern hidden inside it.
Palace Room — Dukes’ Palace
01
All IndividualEvery room is different, combining 15th-century character with contemporary comfort.
02
Original FabricOil paintings, chandeliers and stained glass survive throughout the building.
03
Modern Where It CountsMarble bathrooms and heated floors, discreetly inserted into a protected structure.
04
Garden ViewsRooms look over the sculpted gardens, which is rare in the centre of Bruges.
Experiences
Bruges, on Foot
A medieval city small enough to cross in twenty minutes.
Square
The Markt
The market square and the Belfry, and 366 steps to the top of it.
Art
Groeningemuseum
Van Eyck and the Flemish Primitives, in the city they painted in.
Water
The Canals
Bruges from a boat, which is a different city from Bruges on foot.
Quiet
The Begijnhof
The 13th-century courtyard of white houses, silent by rule.
Beer
De Halve Maan
The last working brewery in the centre, with a pipeline under the streets.
Chocolate
The Makers
The small chocolatiers, rather than the ones on the tourist route.
Dining
In the Palace
A restaurant, a bar and a garden terrace inside a former ducal court.
01The hotel restaurant, in the historic rooms of the palace
02The bar, and the lounge beside it
03Terrace dining in the 3,000 square metre garden
04The spa, for after a day walking the city
The Garden — Dukes’ Palace
Location
The Prinsenhof
Inside the medieval centre of Bruges, listed by UNESCO.
At the Prinsenhof, inside the UNESCO-listed medieval centre.
A few minutes on foot to the Markt, the Belfry and the canals.
The whole historic city is walkable from the door.
An hour by rail from Brussels; 90 minutes from Brussels Airport.
Rail
An hour from Brussels to Bruges by train.
Drive
Ten minutes from the station into the centre.
Arrive
Check in, then walk the city after the day visitors have gone.
Bruges
The Court of the Dukes of Burgundy
A 15th-century palace, three thousand metres of garden, inside a UNESCO city.